Weather Forecast

Flood victims will continue to need help

Although the immediate threat of the Red River flooding seems to have subsided, there were many families displaced by the river's rise.

We encourage supporting the Salvation Army and American Red Cross as the agencies work to provide food and shelter to families who lost their homes or were evacuated by the flooding. The agencies have sent volunteers to the Red River in the last few weeks to focus their efforts.

There is the threat that as more snow melts, waters will rise again. Dikes could be breached or leak until the water level decreases. In the meantime, the Red Cross has opened six shelters and provided more than 630 overnight stays, according to its Web site.

The Salvation Army has provided aid including food, hydration, clean-up kits and spiritual/emotional care to residents of Minnesota and North Dakota.

The community has already stepped up and worked together to fight against the swollen Red River. These efforts will need to continue.

We have been encouraged by the amount of support people from the Park Rapids area have already shown during the flood. Many people have donated time to help sandbag. People with little or no connection to the area donated numerous hours out of the goodness of their hearts.

But after the river level decreases, there will still be a lot to do. Cleanup will be a long, tough process and the community will continue to need help from others.

Consider continuing to support people affected by the flooding by donating to one of these organizations.

To volunteer with the Salvation Army in the Fargo-Moorhead area, call First Link at 701-476-4000. Donations to the Salvation Army can be made by calling 800-SAL-ARMY or by visiting www.salvationarmyusa.org.

To donate to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund call 800-RED-CROSS or visit www.redcross.org.